Condenser.



E. P. RUDEEN.

GONDENSER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY e, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

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munzw. E. GRAHAM co.. Pnnwuwocmvusns wAsmNmoN. nl4 cA ELM'Eit-r, RUDEEN, or Los ANGELEs, CALIFORNIA.

CONDENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Application filed July 6, 1909. Serial No. 505,983.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER F. RUDEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Condensers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a steam condenser and it involves a construction for the condensation of the steam by direct and intimate contact with the water and air in the condenser, the steam passing through the water in small sprays and the air being injected along with the steam. The air passes from the condenser after having passed through the water and carries off a large amount of the heat of the steam. The water is drawn off as the steam condenses, and new water supplied from time to time if necessary; but in the usual case it is not necessary to supply any or a large amount of water as the injected air carries off the heat of vaporization.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the improved condenser. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings 5 designates a tank or shell of suitable size and capacity for any particular condenser, being preferably constructed of sheet iron. At the bottoni of the tank are two inlet pipes 6 and 7, for steam and air respectively. These pipes discharge into a compartment S which is walled off from the remainder of the tank by a head 9. This head is provided with apertures 10 which are controlled by upwardly opening valves 11, these valves being held normally closed by the pressure of water 12 in tank 5 above them. Head 9 is secured in the tank on an angle iron bracket 13 or other equivalent means, by bolts 14, so that it is removable for access to chamber S.

Vertically spaced from each other in the tank above head 9 is a plurality of perforated plates 15, the number of these plates depending upon the size and design of the condenser. These plates are spaced apart and supported by rings 16, being laid loosely in the tankso that they are easily removable. They are perforated in the manner shown in Fig. l, a small lip 17 being punched up out of the metal and leaving an opening below its edge as illustrated. These lips are punched so as to discharge the steam and air passing therethrough in opposite directions on adjacent plates.

In the operation of this condenser steam and air are forced into chamber 8 in such proportions as experience may dictate best, water being placed in the upper partl of the tank to about the level shown. When the steam and air pressure in chamber 8 becomes sufliciently great, valves 11 are opened and the mingled steam and air passes upwardly through water 12. The air having come into direct and intimate contact with the steam in chamber 8, has absorbed a large quantity of its heat. The steam and air being passed into the water and coming into more or less intimate contact therewith, gives up enough of its heat so that the steam is condensed. The air passes olf at the top of the condenser, carrying with it a large amount of the heat of the steam. As the air will emerge from the condenser at practically the same temperature at which water 12 is kept, it is best to keep the water as near the boiling point as possible. In some cases the air will carry off a large enough quantity of heat to keep the temperature of the water below the boiling point, and, consequently, to condense all of the steam. In this case it is only necessary to draw off the water of condensation through outlet pipe 20. In other cases the air may not carry off a sufiicient quantity of heat, and fresh cold water is passed into the condenser through inlet pipe 21.

The advantages of the present construction are these: the volume of the hot gases passed through the water is increased by the injection of air, thereby increasing the efliciency of the heat transfer from the gas to the liquid; andthe injected air carries off a large amount of the heat of the steam.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A steam condenser, comprising a tank, a head in the tank dividing it into upper and lower compartments, means for introducing steam and air to the lower compartment, means for introducing and withdrawing water to and from the upper compartment, there bein communication between the upper and ower compartments for the pasin the upper compartments, means to introduce and withdraw water to and from the upper compartment, and means to introduce steam and air to the lower compartment.

3. A steam condenser, comprising a mixing chamber, means for introducing steam and air to the mixing chamber a water chamber arranged above the mixing chamber, means for withdrawing the water from the water chamber, and means for introducing mixed steam and air from the top of the mixing chamber to the bottom of the water chamber.

4. A steam condenser, comprising a tank, a perforated head in the tank dividing it into upper and lower compartments, means for introducing steam and air to the lower compartment, means forwithdrawing water from the upper compartment, and upwardly opening valves preventing the downward passage of water from the upper compartment through the perforations in the head.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto Vsubscribed my name this 26th day of J une 1909.

ELMER F. RUDEEN.

Witnesses:

ELwooD H. BARKELEW, DANIEL S. HALLADAY. 

